northernbook Chapter 35 Rather than constantly fearing the future, it's better to cultivate oneself.
Chapter 35 Rather than constantly fearing the future, it's better to cultivate oneself.
As soon as the three arrived, they saw Jia Hu holding Jia Zhen. They were terrified and quickly stepped forward to ask, "Zhen'er, what happened?"
Jia Hu was about to get up to answer, but upon hearing his grandfather's voice, Jia Zhen hugged him even tighter. Helpless, Jia Hu could only say:
“I don’t know either, but Jane suddenly started crying.”
Looking at Jia Zhen, who dared not raise his head, Jia Daihua recalled how Jia Zhen had rushed over and chattered excitedly whenever he saw him before. He felt bitter. After all, Jia Zhen was his beloved grandson who had been pampered for many years. Besides, what did Jia Zhen know now? He had frightened him.
Jia Jing called out in a hoarse voice:
“Zhen’er.”
Jia Zhen suddenly shuddered, and Jia Hu noticed the injury on Uncle Jing's head, feeling puzzled. But Jia Zhen was more important right now, so he gently patted Jia Zhen to comfort him.
Jia Daihua squatted down and said when he saw Jia Zhen's appearance:
"Zhen'er, do you not want to talk to your grandfather anymore?"
Jia Zhen was stunned for a moment, then cautiously raised his head to peek at Jia Daihua. Seeing his grandfather's red eyes, he couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears again, saying, "Grandfather, I will never dare to do it again. I will change my ways. Please don't beat me to death!"
Jia Daihua picked him up with a pained expression and said:
"Grandfather, how could I possibly kill you? I'd rather kill your father than kill you. As long as you behave from now on, we'll study hard. It was Grandfather's fault before; I was too harsh on you. Please forgive Grandfather, okay?"
Jia Zhen hugged Jia Daihua's neck and nodded. Jia Jing, standing beside him, also had tears in his eyes.
Looking at his own long chest, Jia Daishan was filled with感慨 (gan3 kai3, a feeling of mixed emotions, including nostalgia and reflection). Seeing Jia Hu standing there dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened, he went over, helped him up, and patted him down.
Jia Hu tugged at the corner of his clothes and asked softly:
“Grandfather, what happened to Uncle Jing? My younger brother Zhen said that if it were Uncle Jing, he would beat him to death.”
Jia Dai could only lie and say, "It's because your younger brother Zhen was disobedient that your great-uncle got angry."
Jia Hu nodded and said, "No wonder."
Jia Hu still felt that Jia Zhen needed strict discipline to prevent him from becoming like the character in the book.
Seeing that his eldest grandson believed him, Jia Daishan breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Jia Zhu tugged at the other side of his robe and said:
"Pearl, you'll be good."
Jia Daishan smiled and patted his head, saying:
"Grandfather knows that you are all good children."
Jia Daihua, holding Jia Zhen who refused to let go, said:
"I'm going back to my residence now, and I'll bring him over tomorrow."
Jia Daishan and the others were about to see him off when Jia Daihua waved his hand and said, "It's just a few steps, why bother? Hu'er and Zhu'er have worked hard today. When this boy comes tomorrow, he can thank you."
After saying that, he took his son and grandson back home.
Jia She and Jia Zheng only learned of this later, and when they came to pay their respects that evening, they asked about it.
Jia Daishan then recounted everything that had happened that day, leaving Jia She and Jia Zheng shocked and filled with fear about the fate of the Rongguo Mansion.
Jia Daishan looked at the brothers sternly and said:
Instead of constantly fearing what might happen in the future, it's better to improve yourself now.
Upon hearing this, the two quickly bowed, realizing that their excessive desire to know the future had clouded their judgment.
Seeing that his two sons could still be saved, Jia Daishan sighed and said:
“She’er, you are the eldest son, and you will inherit the Rongguo Mansion in the future. But look at yourself, can you live up to the title? You can’t be a good-for-nothing who only knows how to enjoy yourself all day long! I know you don’t like studying, but there are many paths in the world, and passing the imperial examinations is not the only one.”
He then looked at Jia Zheng and said, "Zheng'er, that's true. Although you've chosen the path of the imperial examinations, you can't just blindly study. Being single-minded is good, but if you're not good at other things, it won't work even if you become an official in the future."
Both of them blushed. They were fathers now, and the fact that their father still had to worry about them like this made them feel somewhat ashamed and embarrassed.
Jia Daishan then said:
“I’m not saying this to criticize you, but to encourage you to think about your future. As long as I’m alive, I can protect you. But old age, sickness, and death are inevitable, and I will eventually pass away. When that day comes, you will be the ones to support the Jia family.”
The two quickly knelt down and kowtowed, saying:
"I understand, and I will remember this in the future. I just hope that Father will not say such things again. Father will live to be a hundred years old."
Once the conversation in the Rongguo Mansion was open, the atmosphere between the father, sons, and brothers was very harmonious.
Meanwhile, the candles in the Ningguo Mansion burned all night.
When class started in the morning, Jia Hu and Jia Zhu waited and waited, but Jia Zhen still hadn't arrived even after their master announced the start of class.
Jia Hu was a little angry. How could Jia Zhen start slacking off after only one day of school? This was unacceptable. He decided that after school, he would go to the Ningguo Mansion to give Jia Zhen lessons.
During the break, a servant from the Ningguo Mansion came to report that Master Zhen had a fever last night and it had only just subsided after a whole night of suffering. Therefore, he will be unable to attend class today and must ask for leave from his master. He hopes for a kind reply.
Upon hearing that Jia Zhen was ill, Jia Hu and Jia Zhu quickly asked:
"how is it now?"
The servant replied:
"Don't worry, young masters, the fever has subsided. The master instructed that you two should not worry."